Goodbye My Arrogant Ex (Marguerite and Leonard) novel Chapter 58

This was the first time Marguerite had ever seen him. He had sun-kissed skin, eyes as cold and dark as obsidian, and a sharply defined nose...

For as long as she could remember, Marguerite had always thought Hogan was the most handsome man she knew—until now. The moment she laid eyes on this stranger, Hogan simply paled in comparison.

Her heart pounded uncontrollably, skipping a beat or two as she tried to steady her breath.

Just standing in front of her, this man seemed to carry a kind of quiet authority that was almost overwhelming.

“Leonard, what brings you here?” Matthew stood up, barely able to hide his excitement. His gaze lingered meaningfully on Marguerite.

“Just thought I’d stop by.” Leonard’s reply was cool, and without another word, he took the seat right beside Marguerite.

She instantly felt uneasy. They’d spoken on the phone before, but seeing him in person was a completely different experience.

Stealing a sideways glance at him, Marguerite was struck by a strange sense of familiarity. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they’d met somewhere before, though no matter how hard she tried to recall, her mind came up blank.

That was impossible—they’d only just been introduced. She must be imagining things.

A faint citrus scent drifted over from his direction—Leonard’s cologne, subtle and surprisingly pleasant.

“Marguerite, don’t stop eating! The boys and I haven’t gotten together in ages,” Matthew said with a warm smile, clearly trying to put her at ease. “Tonight calls for a proper celebration.”

He couldn’t help but think, Leonard, the woman you’ve been holding a torch for doesn’t even recognize you anymore, and yet you still came all the way back for her. He wisely kept such thoughts to himself—after all, Marguerite was about to get engaged to someone else, and any meddling would only complicate things.

He had no intention of making anyone’s life harder.

Marguerite nodded and hastily reached for her fork, only to fumble and drop it on the floor.

From the moment Leonard arrived, Marguerite couldn’t relax, not even after the meal had finished.

As they stepped out of the restaurant, Matthew suggested, “It’s on our way. Let my driver take you both home.”

Everyone was in a good mood—old friends reunited, a few drinks shared. Marguerite had come straight from the office and hadn’t driven herself.

“I’ll take them,” Leonard interjected smoothly, ushering the two siblings toward his car.

If anyone was headed in the right direction, it was certainly him—he owned most of the hotels in the area, after all.

Matthew could only shake his head in resignation, but before he could protest, Hogan grinned and accepted on their behalf. “Sure, we’ll ride with Mr. Murphy.”